Planning is Essential for Effective Leadership

Planning is Essential

Every day I talk to leaders in some organization who have a great idea, an amazing product or service, and know that they can make a difference in the lives of others. Many of these people are stuck. They have a well thought-out concept, completed books, polished professional keynote or workshop, and other really great offerings…they, however, remain stuck.

As James Allen wrote so many years ago, “Men don’t attract what they need, they attract what they are.” It’s still just as true today as it was over 100 years ago. If we haven’t defined who we want to attract…we are stuck.

We are stuck because we are implementing tactics in the absence of an overall strategy! We can’t lead without a plan! As a musical conductor, I would never think that I could lead any kind of musical ensemble without a musical score. The music needs a map defining the outcome. We need a map for the enterprise we are attempting to lead.

Plan Backwards

“Begin with the end in mind.” – Stephen Covey.

Define the end result and then plan how to achieve the defined results. This works for any venture and any activity. I facilitate meetings for organizations, and part of the process is to break the bad paradigms for meetings…mostly the use of the Agenda. See my post on this topic, “The Agenda: The Enemy of Productivity in Meetings.”

Envision the future and then create the plan. It’s that simple…not really simple, but not as difficult as we make it. Trying to short-cycle the process of creating success creates failure… every time.

We see successful leaders and they make it look easy. Well, look into their journey and find out what it really took to achieve their success.

Pay the upfront cost (planning), which is far less that the alternative, and begin at once creating the pathway to success.

Hugh Ballou
The Transformational Leadership Strategist

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